Gas-governor.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

aJOHN ZANDER, OF MORTONPARK, ILLINOIS.

GAS-GOVERNOR.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 691,429, dated January 21, 1902 Application filed April 11,1901. Serial No. 55,385. (No model.)

To ctl whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN ZANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at M ortonpark, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gas-Governors, of which the following is a specification.

It is desirable and necessary in many instances where illuminating-gas is burned by cubic feet, especially so where it is impossible to use a meter, to provide means by which only the precise volume of gas in cubic feet shall be burned no matter what the pressure may be in the main or source of supply.

The object of my invention is to construct a regulator or governor which will automatically deliver the required volume of gas in cubic feet per hour or other period of time under all conditions of varying pressure and have the supply regulated and controlled in a positive and reliable manner through the action of the regulator or governor; and the invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is an elevation of a burner having the gas governor or regulator of the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a sectional ele'- vation of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-section on line 3 of Fig. 4; Fig. fl, a sectional elevation of the base of the governor or regulator,sho'w ing the controlling-valve and the float-disk therefor in the position they occupy under an intermediate pressure of gas; Fig. 5, a cross-section on line 5 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 6, a sectional elevation of the base of the governor, showing the valve and the ioat-disk therefor in the position they occupy under a high pressure of gas.

The gas governor or regulator of my invention is constructed with a base portion having a hollow stem or tube @,with the hole therein screw-threaded for attachment to the pipe or supply-tube of an ordinary lamp-post,` for use with which the governor or regulator shown is specially intended. A cup or shell b ofa greater diameter than the diameter of the hollow stem or tube is formed integral therewith and is provided on its exterior with a screw-thread for the reception of a cap or cover c, screw-threaded thereonto, which cap or cover has a nipple or stem d.

A chamber e is formed in the cup or shell b and is closed by the cap or cover c, and in this chamber is located a Float-disk f, made of thin metal or other suitable material. The wall of the chamber e is tapered from the top downward, and the diameter of the float-disk is approximately the same as the diameter of the lower end of the chamber, so that when the float-disk is raised and lowered in the chamber the space between its periphery and the wall of the chamber will vary in width according to the position of the float-disk, the higher the float-disk is in the chamber the greater the width of space.

The iioat-disk is attached at its center to a stem g, the extreme lower end of which4 has formed thereon a tapered head or end h, forming a controlling plug or valve. The stem, with its controlling plug or valve, is entered into and passes through a hole i in a plug j, screw-threaded into the hole or opening of the stem or tube ot, and the diameter of the hole 't is the same as the diameter of the largest portion of the plug or head, so that when the plug is Within the hole or passage/t' it will llsuch passage and prevent the escape of gas through the hole or passage of the pluginto the chamber e around the float-disk but when the controlling plug or head is wholly outside of or partially outside of the plug a space is left between its face and the wall ot the opening or passage 'L' through which gas can pass to enter the chamber e around the oat-disk, the volume of gas so passing being controlled by the size of the opening or space between the face of the plug or valve and the wall of the opening or passage. The 'space between the periphery of the iioat-disk and the wall of the chamber for the disk and the space between the face of the plug or valve and the wall of the opening or passage have a proportionate relation one to the other, and this relation is one that as the space for the passage of gas around the plug or valve is decreased the space around the float-disk is increased and as the space around the plug or valve is increased the space around the float-disk is decreased. The position of the float-disk in the chamber, and

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consequently the position of the plug or valve, is controlled by the pressure of the gas, a high pressure acting on the disk raising the same in the chamber and at the same time raising the plug or valve, decreasing the space for the passage of gas around the plug or valve and increasing the space around the Heat-disk, and a low pressure permitting the float-disk to descend,suchdescentppening the plug or valve, giving an increased space around it for the passage of gas, with a corresponding decreased space around the floatdisk. rlhe function of the inclined Walls of chamber e is that When the float is at its lowest position the space beneath it is nearly closed, so that the gas at a loW pressure will have a certain lifting effect, whereas When the gas is at a higher pressure and the iioat in a higher position the lifting effect is lessened by reason of a larger outlet for the gas around the edge of the float. It Will thus be seen that the pressure of the gas itself furnishes the means for regulating and controlling its volume through the pressure acting on the float-disk and opening andclosing the valve accordingly as the pressure is .low or high, and any intermediate pressure between the high and low points will set the float-disk and the plug or valve accordingly, so ythat no matter what the pressure may be only a regulated volume of gas can pass through for consumptionat the burner.

The plug j, carrying the valve-stem and valve, at its end within the chamber e has a cross slit or nick 7c therein, which furnishes a small outlet for gas beneath the float-disk for the pressure to act on the disk, and this slit or nick also furnishes an engagement for a screw-driver or other tool by means of which the plug can be set higher or lower in the stem or tube in which it is located. This setting of the plug higher or lower assists in regulating the volume of gas which passes to the burner, as with the plug set for its end within thechamber to be in a high plane as a consequence the float-disk will be raised to a higher plane in order to close the passage in the plug j through which the gas enters the float-disk chamber, the result being a wider space Z between the periphery of the float-disk and the wall of the chamber, and with the plug j adjusted to a lower plane the float-disk does not rise to as high a plane When the plug or valve closes the passage for the gas, With the result that a less space Z is provided around the periphery of the ioatdisk. It Will thus be seen that the position of the plug controls the position of the floatdisk, and the position of the float-disk controls the volume of gas which passes into and out of the iioat-disk chamber.

The gas passes from the chamber e above the oat-disk through a passage min the neck or stem d and enters the passage n in the burner-tube to pass out at the slit of the tip p, as usual.

The operation is as follows: The plugj is properly adj listed, so as to have its discharge end in the chamber c at the proper point for the operation of the float-disk and valve to pass a predetermined volume of gas, and when adjusted and the governor or regulator is attached to the lamp-post or other place -Where it is to be used the pressure of the admitted gas, irrespective of what it may be, will operate to automatically raise and lower the float-disk and close and open the plug or valve to the precise extent required for the passing of the predetermined volume of gas in cubic feet per hour or other stated period of time for consumption at the burner, and the volume of gas passed will be determined by the pressure-governor, so that in every case the same number of cubic feet will be passed in a given period of time, thus insuring the burning of only so many cubic feet of gas in a given time, thereby regulating and controlling the consumption of gas as required. l

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gas-governor, the combination of a Heat-disk located and operating in a chamber, with a space around its peripheral edge varying in Width from the rise and fall of the iloat in the chamber, and avalve controlling a passage leading to the chamber and having a relation to the disk to close the passage with the rise of the Heat-disk and open the passage with the fall of the float-disk coincidingly with the Widening and lessening of the space around the peripheral edge of the floatdisk, substantially as described. Y

2. In a gas-governor, the combination of a chamber having a downwardly-tapered Wall, a float-disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the float-disk in the chamber, and a valve controlling the inlet of gas and carried by the float-disk, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-governor, the combination of a chamber having a downwardly-tapered wall, a ioat-disk located and operating in' the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the wall of the chamber, increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the float-disk in the chamber, a valve controlling the admission of gas into the chamber carried by the iioat-disk and a plug having its discharge end entered into the chamber and having a passage closed and opened by the controlling-valve with the rise and fall of the float-disk, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-governor, the combination of a chamber having a downwardly-tapered wall, a float-disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber, increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the oat-disk in the chamber, a

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valve controlling the admission of gas into the chamber having a tapered face and carried by the float-disk, a plug having its discharge end entered into the chamber and having a passage of a diameter corresponding to the largest diameter of the valve and closed and opened by the controlling-valve with the rise and fall of the iioat-disk, substantially as described.

5. In a gas-governor, the combination of a stem, a shell or casing on the stem, a cover for the shell or casing, a chamber in the shell or casing closed by the cover, a float-disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber, increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the float-disk in the chamber, a valve controlling the admission of gas into the chamber having a tapered face and carried by the float-disk, and a plug having its discharge end entered into the chamber and having a passage of a diameter corresponding to the largest diameter of the valve, closed andV opened by the controlling-valve with the rise and fall of the float-disk, substantially as described. Y

6. In a gas-governor, the combination of a stem, a shell or casing on the stem, a cover for the shell or casing, a chamber in the shell or casing closed by the cover, a float-disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber, increased and decreased by therise and fall of the float-disk in the chamber7 a valve controlling the admission of gas into the chamber having a tapered face and carried by the float-disk, a plug having its discharge end entered into the chamber and having a passage of a diameter corresponding to the largest diameter of the valve, closed and opened by the controlling-valve with the rise and fall of the float-disk, and a burner tube and tip attached to the cap or cover and communicating with the float-disk chamber, substantially as described.

7. In a gas-governor, the combination of a chamber having a downwardly-tapered Wall, a float disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space -between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the float-disk in the chamber, a controlling-valve carried by the float-disk, and an adjustable plug having its discharge end entered into the chamber and Y having a passage closed and opened by the controlling-valve With the rise and fall of the float-disk, substantially as described.

l8. In a gas-governor, the combination of a chamber having a downwardly-tapered Wall, a float disk located and operating in the chamber and having a diameter to leave a space between its peripheral edge and the Wall of the chamber, increased and decreased by the rise and fall of the Heat-disk in the chamber, a controlling-valve having a tapered face and carried by the float-disk, and an adj ustable plug entered into the chamber and adapted to be raised and lowered therein and having a passage of a diameter corresponding to the largest diameter of the valve and closed and opened by the controlling-valve With the rise and fall of the float-disk, substantially as described.

JOHN ZANDER. Witnesses:

THOMAS B. MGGREGOR, THOMAS A. BANNING. 

